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Traditional medicine has a long history. It is the sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or t…

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Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee Data Data at WHO Classifications Data collections Global Health Estimates Mortality Database Sustainable Development Goals Dashboards COVID-19 Health Inequality Monitor Triple Billion Highlights Data collection tools Global Health Observatory Insights and visualizations SCORE Reports COVID excess deaths World Health Statistics About WHO About WHO Partnerships Committees and advisory groups Collaborating centres Technical teams Organizational structure Who we are Our work Activities Initiatives Global Programme of Work WHO Academy Funding Investment case WHO Foundation Accountability Audit Financial statements Programme budget Results Report Governance Governing bodies World Health Assembly Executive Board Member States Portal All topicsABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Resources Fact sheets Facts in pictures Multimedia Publications Questions and answers Tools and toolkits Popular COVID-19 Dengue Herpes Hypertension Mental disorders Top 10 causes of death All countriesABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Regions Africa Americas Europe Eastern Mediterranean South-East Asia Western Pacific WHO in countries Cooperation strategies Data by country All news News releases Statements Campaigns Events Feature stories Speeches Commentaries Photo library Headlines WHO appeals for protection of the health system from further attacks and degradation of its capacity 4 December 2023 Statement Over 40 million health professionals demand bold health and climate action at COP28 2 December 2023 News release WHO Director-General's statement on the passing of Dr Carissa Etienne 2 December 2023 Statement Focus on Afghanistan Cholera  Greater Horn of Africa Israel and occupied Palestinian territory Sudan Ukraine Latest Disease Outbreak News Situation reports Weekly Epidemiological Record WHO in emergencies Surveillance Operations Research Funding Partners Health emergency appeal International Health Regulations Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee Data at WHO Classifications Data collections Global Health Estimates Mortality Database Sustainable Development Goals Dashboards COVID-19 Health Inequality Monitor Triple Billion Highlights Data collection tools Global Health Observatory Insights and visualizations SCORE Reports COVID excess deaths World Health Statistics About WHO Partnerships Committees and advisory groups Collaborating centres Technical teams Organizational structure Who we are Our work Activities Initiatives Global Programme of Work WHO Academy Funding Investment case WHO Foundation Accountability Audit Financial statements Programme budget Results Report Governance Governing bodies World Health Assembly Executive Board Member States Portal Home/ Health topics/ Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine  Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine OverviewImpactWHO responseMore Overview Traditional medicineTraditional medicine has a long history. It is the sum total of the knowledge, skill, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.Complementary medicineThe terms “complementary medicine” or “alternative medicine” refer to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of that country’s own tradition or conventional medicine and are not fully integrated into the dominant health-care system. They are used interchangeably with traditional medicine in some countries.Herbal medicinesHerbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products, that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other plant materials, or combinations. Impact The WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014–2023 was developed and launched in response to the World Health Assembly resolution on traditional medicine (WHA62.13). The strategy aims to support Member States in developing proactive policies and implementing action plans that will strengthen the role traditional medicine plays in keeping populations healthy.Addressing the challenges, responding to the needs identified by Member States and building on the work done under the WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2002–2005, the updated strategy for the period 2014–2023 devotes more attention than its predecessor to prioritizing health services and systems, including traditional and complementary medicine products, practices and practitioners.The strategic objectives are:To build the knowledge base for active management of T&CM through appropriate national policies;To strengthen the quality assurance, safety, proper use and effectiveness of T&CM by regulating products, practices and practitioners;To promote universal health coverage by integrating T&CM services into health care service delivery and self-health care.  WHO response The WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019 was developed to address the gap in reliable, credible and official data from Member States in the area of T&CM. This report reviews global progress in T&CM over the past two decades and is based on contributions from 179 WHO Member States. It provides valuable information for policy-makers, health professionals and the public for capitalizing on the potential contribution of T&CM to health and well-being.  Questions and answers Traditional medicineInitiatives and groups International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines (IRCH)Global Centre for Traditional MedicineTechnical work Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCI) News All → 17 November 2023 Departmental news New WHO and Ministry of AYUSH, Republic of India agreement signed to advance traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine 19 August 2023 Departmental news Global partners commit to advance evidence-based traditional, complementary and integrative medicine 10 August 2023 News release WHO convenes first high-level global summit on traditional medicine to explore evidence base, opportunities to accelerate health for all 10 July 2023 Departmental news WHO Director-General discusses priorities on traditional, complementary and integrative healthcare with civil society Latest publications All → 1 June 2023 Report of the Fourth Regional Forum of WHO Collaborating Centres in the Western Pacific, Siem Reap, Cambodia,... The Fourth Forum was convened in Siem Reap on 28–29 November 2022 in a hybrid format and brought together 216 participants from across the Western... Download Read More 10 January 2023 WHO international standard terminologies on siddha medicine Siddha medicine is a popular health resource used across the world. Standard terminology relating to Siddha medicine is, therefore, an essential tool for... Download Read More 10 January 2023 WHO international standard terminologies on ayurveda Ayurveda is one of the popularly applied health resources across the globe. Standard terminology of Ayurveda is an essential tool for working on other... Download Read More 10 January 2023 WHO international standard terminologies on unani medicine Unani medicine is a popular health resource used across the world. Standard terminology relating to Unani medicine is, therefore, an essential tool for... Download Read More Our work Implementation of the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 Events All → The First WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit 17 – 18 August 2023 WHO workshop on “Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine contributions to UHC” 21 May 2019 Multimedia All → 19 August 2022 Traditional Medicine: five areas of work of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) 26 March 2022 The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine Related health topics Health systems Nursing and Midwifery Health systems Palliative care Health systems Primary health care Health interventions Rehabilitation Regions Africa Americas Eastern Mediterranean Europe South-East Asia Western Pacific Policies Cyber security Ethics Permissions and licensing Preventing sexual exploitation Terms of use About us Careers Library Procurement Publications Frequently asked questions Contact us Subscribe to our newsletters Privacy policy © 2023 WHO